A TRAMP was unrecognisable after he was run over by several vehicles on a dual carriageway.

Brian Williams, whose last known address was in Chester, was only identified via police fingerprints.

Police officers had spoken to him a short time earlier to check if he was all right and ask him if he needed any help.

But he was aggressive, said that he had not done anything wrong, refused to give his name and walked off, saying he was going to Chester.

A short time later he was struck down but despite a huge police operation, it had not been possible to trace any relatives of the 46-year-old man, or to find out anything about him, an inquest at Flint heard on Tuesday.

North East Wales coroner John Hughes appealed to anyone who knew him or was related to him to get in touch.

He said it was a desperately sad situation for a man of no fixed abode, described by some people as a tramp, to meet his end that way.

The tragedy happened on the A483 near Ruabon when Mr Williams, who was carrying some white plastic carrier bags, was knocked down by a car.

He was then run over by several other vehicles including a lorry despite attempts to warn drivers of the accident.

Pathologist Dr Mark Otter said he died of multiple injuries and said the mutilated body had massive fractures and distortion.

Following a police investigation, no blame could be attached to the drivers, the inquest heard.

Andrew Mark Edwards, 24, a welder of Beech Avenue in Bradley, Wrexham, said he was driving down the outside lane in a Mercedes van and when he struck Mr Williams.

'I don't know where he came from,' he said, and explained his windscreen was smashed and he stopped to find out what had happened.

Another driver Anthony Edward Williams, of Moss Valley, Brynteg, Wrexham, told how he hit what he believed to be a rolled-up tarpaulin.

It was only when he read the newspapers the following day that he realised what had happened and he was praised by the coroner for coming forward and helping the police investigation.

Witnesses at a nearby 24-hour cafe told how they had seen a person approach the cafe earlier and believed he was about to enter for a cup of tea, but he went around the back of the cafe and they did not see him again.

The coroner said it was a mystery why Mr Williams was in the outside lane of the dual carriageway.

The inquest heard that the last known address for Mr Williams had been in King Street, Chester, and before that in Ashton under Lyme in Manchester.

North Wales Police launched a huge probe to try to trace family and to find out more about him.